Teachers in Palali launched a campaign this week, against the planned construction of a Sri Lankan army base over a teaching centre, reported Tamilwin.

Led by Joseph Stalin of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union, a petition was launched following a meeting held this week. The petition demanded that the proprosed construction of an army base be halted, schools in the North is allowed to resume daily activities without hinderance and the transfer of 98 teachers from Vanni is carried out without further delay.

Members of the newly formed Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), made of JVP dissidents, revolted against the party leader on Saturday.

The FSP dissident group, led by MP Dimuthu Bandara Abeykoon and former Western Provincial Councillor Waruna Rajapaksa - neither of whom were elected into the FSP's Central Committee - criticised the party leaders for following the JVP's path, instead of providing an alternative.

The body of Easwaradasan Kedeeswaran, a 28-year-old Tamil, was found in Aiyanagar in Trincomalee on Wednesday night, the Daily Mirror reports. He was attacked and hacked to death as he returned home that night.

Kedeeswaran had been living in the UK, before moving to Trincomalee last year with his wife.

He was making preparations to return to the UK soon to be with his wife, who had already left for the UK.

Responding to comments made by Tamil Nadu's DMK leader, Karunanidhi, that Eelam was an unfulfilled dream, Sri Lanka's defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said,

“A much bigger population of Tamils live in Tamil Nadu in India than the Tamil population in Sri Lanka. If Karunanidhi wants a Tamil Eelam he can have it in Tamil Nadu. He should not come to make Eelams in Sri Lanka. This is a sovereign country.  We consider those who talk about Eelam as terrorists,”

Over 2000 Sinhala Buddhists, including over 300 Buddhist monks, protested outside a mosque in Dambulla, forcing mosque officials to cancel Friday prayers.

The protesters were led by three Buddhist monks - Inamaluwe Sri Sumangala Thera, Akmeemana Gunaratana Thera and Pallewela Hemaratana Thera. Having surrounded the mosque, the protesters shouted slogans demanding that the mosque be demolished.

Tamil inmates at Galle prison were violently attacked by Sinhala prisoners with blades on the 14th April, reported Lanka eNews website.

The website, which has been banned by the Sri Lankan government for expressing 'anti-government' sentiments stated that the mainstream Sri Lankan press had not reported on the incident.

The body of 18-year-old Tamil student, Sivalingam Sivakumaran, was found by a Sri Lankan military 'high security zone', 2km from his home in Kerudaavil village in Vadamaraadchi North of Jaffna district, reports Tamilnet.

He was last seen alive on Friday. Locals believe that young student was abducted, tortured and killed. He was last seen alive on the 13th April.

Addressing the cross-party Indian delegation currently visiting Sri Lanka, TNA MP Selvam Adaikkalanandan reiterated the need for the devolution of land and police powers.

Speaking to the BBC after the event, Adaikkalanandan said,

Photograph Colombo Telegraph

A mob of Sinhala youths assaulted two Tamil youths and set fire to seven Tamil homes in the village of Dilithura in Elpitiya, Galle, on Sunday.

The Leader of the DMK, M Karunanidhi, has welcomed the idea of a referendum on an independent Tamil Eelam.

Writing in his party journal Murasoli, Karunanidhi said India should give the "required support and pressure" to effect an intervention by the UN.

“The demand for a referendum among Tamils for a separate Ealam is welcome. Some countries have earned recognition following such referendum at the intervention of the United Nations (UN),” he said.